Paro Monsoon Leisure Walk – Independent Paro Travel Ideas

One of the good things of living in Thimphu is one can easily travel Punakha and Paro in a day – the two most popular tourist places of western Bhutan. Sometimes when things seem so unexciting and monotonous, I usually travel these places for short getaway trips. Last weekend I went Paro for a short Paro Monsoon Leisure Walk.

It was already late summer. Paro is different in its own terms during monsoon season. The valley garlanded with lush green paddy plants and ribbed with light hanging monsoon clouds, what more one would expect from it for perfect landscape photography and exciting leisure walks.

Since this town still retains some of the medieval traits, the traditional houses, Dzongs and paddy fields in all sync well to assigning distinct characters for Paro valley. Paro indeed looks more beautiful during monsoon.

But this time, I was travelling for short Paro Monsoon Leisure walk. I want to attempt landscape photography of Paro valley. From various viewpoints of Paro and some of the best Paro photography sites, I want to collect good photo galleries of the valley.

This time around, I want to capture air bus as it takes off or land with panoramic views of the valley in background. Otherwise for my poor photography skills, I stood for hours and captured them. I am sure they won’t be loved much. They didn’t turn out as I expected.

Places to visit during the Paro Monsoon Leisure Walk

If you don’t intent to experience landscape photography of Paro, you actually don’t have to hunt for the best viewpoints of Paro. You can just walk around the town and have immersive experiences of Bhutanese culture, tradition, lifestyles and cuisines.

There are numerous places which you can visit during Paro monsoon leisure walk. These are basically fortresses, cultural heritages, temples, monasteries and museums of Paro. During Paro monsoon leisure walk, you can cover following tourist places:

Paro Tadzong – National Museum.

Paro Rinpung Dzong.

Kichu Lhakhang.

Dzongdrakha Lhakhang.

Zuri Dzong.

Jangserbu Lhakhang.

Dungtse Lhakhang.

Hungrel Dzong.

Ugyen Pelri Palace of Paro.

Khangkhu Temple.

Drugyel Dzong.

You can also include Drakarpo, Sangchoekhor, Druk Choeding and Pena Lhakhang if you have more time. You can also visit Paro weekend market, archery playground and Kila Goemba Nunnery.

Best Paro Photography Sites – Paro Photography Tours

Unless you want to do landscape photography, you don’t need to search for best Paro photography sites. Because the moment you are out in the town, everything will be good subject of photography for you.

Just go for leisure walk around Paro town. You’ll be able to capture Bhutanese of almost all walks of lives. Sometimes you will come across elder people carrying kids, school children playing with stray dogs and youths busy with their mobile phones for your photography.

And near Dzong, you’ll come across many Buddhist monks who can be good portrait photography subjects. However, it would be good on your part to ask them before you actually take their photos.

If your camera can capture from distance, nothing like it. They will be in best and perhaps natural poses. If you are strict only on landscape photography, following would be the best Paro photography sites:

Khangkhu Airport Viewpoint.

Tadzong Viewpoint.

Sangchoekhor Lhakhang.

Zuri Dzong.

Rinpung Dzong Windows.

Olathang Hotel Backyard.

Taktsang, Chelela Pass and Bumdra are some of the most popular photography spots of Bhutan in Paro. But they are quite far from Paro town. And unless you have more days in your travel plan, you cannot cover them during Paro leisure walk.

Long Exposure Night Photography – Paro Photography

I also attempted night photography of Paro during this trip. I used the technique of long exposure. If there was good vehicular traffic, the effects I captured would have come stunning. But you know it’s low in Bhutan.

However, you can also experiment it. I feel that a mound that is above Olathang road is a good spot for night photography of Paro. Tadzong and Rinpung Dzong look noticeably beautiful during night. Rinpung Dzong remains lit with flooding light during night.

Therefore, we can also turn Paro Monsoon Leisure walk into Paro photography tours. When weather is fine, we enjoy walking around the valley. Paro valley is at its best. Monsoon and Autumn are the best seasons to travel Paro valley.

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About Author

An auditor by profession, but a traveller, blogger and photographer by passion. This site was created to share travel stories of various destinations within Bhutan and also travel tips of travelling to Bhutan. Read More>>